Everett Golson Does Not Look Ready for Florida State Showdown

There are good ways to enter the biggest game of the year. And then there's the way Notre Dame is heading into its showdown with No. 1 Florida State. 

The Irish limped their way to a wild 50-43 victory over North Carolina, overcoming a self-inflicted, 14-point hole early in the game, three Everett Golson turnovers and some suspect defensive play that has Notre Dame looking its worst as it goes into its biggest game of the year. 

If next Saturday night's main event is the heavyweight title fight the Irish have been waiting for, they nearly KO'd themselves following the ring girl up the stairs. And after leading Notre Dame to three impressive wins by playing near-flawless football, Golson heads to Tallahassee a quarterback in crisis. 

After producing touchdowns at an amazing rate, the engine of the Notre Dame offense is now piling up turnovers at an equally troubling pace. On Saturday afternoon, the Irish scored 50 points for the first time since the season-opening game of 2012 but seemed to do so in spite of its quarterback, not because of him. 

That may sound harsh considering Golson managed to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 71 yards at 5.9 per clip. But Golson's three turnovers led to 21 Tar Heel points.

Needing a fast start, Golson all but kick-started the Tar Heels' upset bid. He fumbled deep in his own territory on Notre Dame's first possession, went three-and-out on his second (a drive that included a dropped interception on an ugly misread) and threw a terrible pick-six on his third.

In a game where a quick Irish start could have taken the Tar Heels out of the game, Golson showed the hospitality of a Notre Dame usher, all but asking North Carolina to stick around for the afternoon and enjoy the home field. 

The victory was the most important part of a weekend that served as the ultimate (and most obvious) "trap game" of the season. So while leaving 6-0 meant mission accomplished, the Irish have to fix holes on both sides of the ball, springing leaks before their ultimate playoff inspection. But none are more important than Brian Kelly's quarterback. 

"It tested him, because I tested him a little bit," Kelly said of Golson's struggles. "I got in his face a little bit about the first interception. He's above that interception...But I thought he handled it well."  

JOE RAYMOND/Associated Press

While it took just minutes after Notre Dame's hard-fought victory over North Carolina for ESPN's College GameDay to announce they were heading to Tallahassee, it'll take all week for Kelly to get his quarterback ready for the trip south. And while Kelly put a good spin on it in his postgame comments, it looks as if Golson is regressing heading into the season's signature game. 

Golson looked like a quarterback trying to be someone he's not. He stuck around in a pocket that too often was collapsing. He locked on receivers early and threw to others too late. And after Kelly and the Irish coaching staff tried to coach the sandlot out of his playmaker, Golson needs to bring a little spontaneity back to his game, remembering that the hardest play to stop for a defense is sometimes the one that wasn't planned. 

Of course, Saturday wasn't all Golson's fault. While the Irish running game found its footing behind Tarean Folston, the offensive line was still plagued by mistakes. The opening series' strip-sack could be pegged on an overwhelmed offensive line. The group missed multiple blitz pickups, with Harry Hiestand's reshuffled offensive line still in need of vast improvements before taking on the Florida State front seven. 

That leaky offensive line led to a game-defining play late in the third quarter. Hit hard by a blitzer as his third-down pass fell incomplete, sophomore quarterback Malik Zaire began warming up on the sidelines. While it was ultimately a medical precaution, for the first time this season Irish fans openly wondered if Kelly had Zaire warming up because his quarterback was ineffective. 

But a questionable roughing the punter call extended Notre Dame's drive, bringing Golson—who was cleared by the medical staff—back onto the field. And the quarterback responded, driving the Irish to two touchdowns to ice the victory.

"He bounced back, threw the ball with authority and he was decisive. He made some good decisions, but he's learning," Kelly said. "That could shut some quarterbacks down.  He took the adversity and got better as the game went on." 

Ultimately, it was enough to beat North Carolina. But with the college football world descending on Doak Campbell Stadium next weekend, Notre Dame needs Everett Golson to be its star. And right now, he's not playing like one. 

*Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.